important

There’s no place like home. Real estate mogul Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the state’s former senator, racked up big wins in the Empire State. As results rolled in, Trump appeared to have exceeded expectations, with projections awarding him about 89 of the 95 Republican delegates at stake. Ohio Gov. John Kasich should pick up a few delegates, but Ted Cruz got none, leading Trump to gloat that he’s “just about been mathematically eliminated.” Meanwhile, Clinton won big over Brooklynite Bernie Sanders, whose uphill battle for the nomination just became steeper.

Empire Building

The Taliban’s at it again. The Islamic fundamentalists are claiming responsibility for a coordinated attack today in the Afghan capital that killed at least 28 and injured more than 300. A suicide bomber detonated a vehicle during Kabul’s morning rush hour near the country’s Ministry of Defense, and gunmen and more suicide bombers then stormed the area. The presidential palace condemned the attack — which follows the Taliban’s launch of a so-called “spring offensive” — and security forces have reportedly subdued the terrorists and cleared the area.

Deadly Impact

Until now they were winging it. But the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says two pieces of debris that washed up in Mozambique 135 miles apart last winter are in all likelihood remnants of the Malaysia Airlines flight that vanished on March 8, 2014. This adds fuel to the ongoing investigation, which has been combing the seafloor west of Australia based on educated guesses about the plane’s location. If by mid-year nothing’s found in the 12,000 square miles that have yet to be searched, authorities have agreed to give up for good.

Positive Identification

Parts of the Lone Star State’s largest city are underwater. Nearly 20 inches of rain fell in the region, killing five and flooding at least 1,000 homes in Harris County. Rivers overflowed in the downtown area, forcing water rescues of more than 1,200 people and leaving tens of thousands without power. The “historic rainfall event” prompted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to declare a state of disaster in nine counties. Several emergency shelters have been opened, and residents are being urged to stay off the roads.

Rained Out

Who you callin’ risk averse? Investors are ignoring talk of a global slowdown and commodity volatility to drive stocks to new 2016 highs. The Dow Jones closed above 18000 for the first time since last July, reflecting jubilation over corporate resilience in the face of oil’s lackluster performance. The good news helped Tokyo rebound and boosted yields while weakening the yen and dollar, and Britons put aside their trademark calm to help carry on the good cheer, pushing stocks, including energy-related ones, up in early trading today.

Briefly

intriguing

Does she have a prayer? Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, a 71-year-old former professor known as Dhammananda, wants to bring women back into Thai Buddhist monasteries. Historians say Buddha had female devotees, but women have been shut out for centuries and legally banned from taking vows since 1928. While women hoping to join monastic orders have the Dalai Lama’s support, Dhammananda — the first Thai nun to be ordained in the country’s majority Theravada tradition — faces an uphill battle to be recognized by Thailand’s religious elite.

Founding Mothers

Scientists are wading into virgin territory. A new study involving 385,000 people in the U.K., Iceland and the U.S. shows that DNA can determine the age you’re most likely to lose your virginity. The 38 genes are also associated with risk-taking behavior and early onset puberty, which has been linked to increased risks of diabetes and heart disease. While scientists say DNA’s only about 25 percent of the puzzle — it’s nurture over nature here — they hope their findings will help foster more targeted sex education.

Daring DNA

They’re on the same page. America’s highest court has refused to hear a challenge by authors who say the search engine’s massive book-scanning project violates copyright law. In doing so, the court upheld a 2013 U.S. District Court ruling and a 2015 Circuit Court of Appeals decision declaring the practice was fair use and did not, in essence, create copies for resale, as the Authors Guild has contended. But opponents say cash-strapped writers are being hurt by the duplication process … and that the chapter’s far from closed.

Seeing Double

This meddling mother-in-law has left the stage. The beloved actor who starred as Marie Barone in the CBS hit has died in Los Angeles of natural causes. Roberts’ career spanned six decades, starting with her 1952 TV debut, and featured film and Broadway appearances, as well as guest stints on popular shows like Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy. She won five Emmys, four of them for her Raymond role, and she’s being remembered by co-star Ray Romano for her “grand love for life.”

Final Bow

They ran away with it. The 120th edition of the men’s race went to Lemi Berhanu Hayle, who led a dominant run by the Ethiopian team to capture the first three places. The East African nation’s Atsede Baysa, meanwhile, pulled off a steep comeback to finish first for the women, and Boston Marathon bombing victim Adrianne Haslet, who lost a leg in the 2013 attacks, claimed a personal victory by completing the race. This was the first year Ethiopians won both races as eyes now turn toward the Summer Games in Rio.